It's hard to buy stocking stuffers for a 1-year-old

I found this out today. Everything is either too old (age-appropriate-wise), too big, too easy for him to eat or put in his mouth, too sugary, too salty, too expensive, too cheap, too tacky.

But I had SO much fun researching and then searching for these tiny treasures to fill his stocking. I now know why Mom always said she had more fun filling our stockings than buying our other gifts....it was in the stockings that you can hide the most surprises, things that you pick out on your own, not things that your kids ask you to get them.

I exited the store with a bag of things which made me smile with satisfaction.....finished and behind me. Gardner sat right in the shopping cart, looking sweetly at me in his little peacoat, not having a clue what all I just bought. This oblivious age sure is easy!

I can remember some of the most fabulous stocking stuffers among my growing up years....they stick like glue to my memory. Slinkies, silly putty, little stick-on earrings, peel-off nail polishes, Tinkerbell cologne, Strawberry Shortcake shampoo, harmonicas, silly straws, colored pens, bookmarks, Barbie shoe assortments, jelly bracelets....I could go on. I remember opening my other gifts, but Mom squirming off to the side whispering, "You haven't looked in your stocking yet, Meg! Why don't you look in your stocking?" with a sparkle in her eye. Now I get it. :)

What kinds of stocking stuffers did you like as a kid?

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